Manvers Main Collieries
From Graces Guide
of Wath-upon-Dearne, near Rotherham
- Manvers Main Colliery was a coal mine, sunk on land belonging to the Earl Manvers and was situated on the northern edge of the township of Wath-upon-Dearne, between that town and Mexborough, in the Dearne Valley South Yorkshire. [1]
- Within the complex was the Regional headquarters and laboratories of British Coal.
- Manvers was, in fact, a complex of collieries, the original sinkings being known as "Old Manvers", the later sinkings as "New Manvers", and a coke and by-products plant.
- 1800's The first shaft was sunk.
- 1899 The company was registered on 21 February, to acquire the properties of a company of the same name. [2]
- 1900-1901 The second shaft was sunk, and later a third shaft was added.
- 1911 The Manvers Main Colliery Company were also responsible for the sinking of two shafts at Barnburgh, a village about two miles north east. The collieries were connected by a private railway.
- 1945 On 4 March the colliery suffered an accident which caused the death of 5 underground workers. The cause was an explosion of firedamp ignited by sparks from a damaged trailing cable.
- Immediately prior to nationalization Manvers was owned by Manvers Main Collieries Ltd.
- 1981 The coke ovens and coal by-products plant was closed.
- 1988 The colliery complex closed on 25 March 1988.